Your Most Important Client is Your Next One
Who do you consider to be your most important client? Your largest? Your most recent client? Perhaps a government contract or influential organization? I consider that your most important client is your next client.
Options, options
I was recently evaluating bank account options. At just one bank, I could easily choose between standard, advanced, premier or private accounts. The options were seemingly endless, which as a consumer means I get more of what I need and less of what I don’t.
This has not always been the case. The wide array of choices now available (from banking when, where and how you want to ordering food online, by phone or on site) is in part due to millennials. This generation is driving change, from which we all benefit. We all want to be “valued” and feel “unique” — millennials more so than any previous generation.
Who doesn’t want to feel valued? Who doesn’t expect the best? And who doesn’t want answers to their questions, or solutions to their problems? Nobody. But what does this mean for suppliers?
The Best Choices
As a supplier, I believe it means we have to be prepared to offer more personalized choices, choices that suit every consumer. At Agronomix, this is nothing new to us. Our personal approach starts during our first call to a potential client. We want to know exactly what that person is looking for from plant breeding software, so we can tailor our solution, giving them exactly what they need.
This personalized approach doesn’t stop once we’ve closed the sale. Throughout implementation, helping the new client get started with AGROBASE is crucial to the successful and continued use of the software. One such example of our customization is that we offer scheduled on-site training, online learning modules and phone support to help meet our clients’ needs when, where and how they want.
However, it’s important to note that as you look to offer more choice, it’s imperative to be able to help guide a potential client in the right direction so they don’t feel overwhelmed by the customizations or choices available. This means you need to understand the client you are talking with and their unique needs. Do your research and listen. I mean really listen — listen with an open mind and that “potential” client will be your next client.
(First published on SeedWorld.com | February 2018 | Updated July 2019)
Christopher Leonard, MBCS is President of Agronomix Software – leading software for plant breeders and variety testers.
